TE TROUBLE
Comments
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chrisrenee - so sorry you find yourself here. It has not been long since surgery for you and TE are, by nature, somewhat uncomfortable. Do you have any redness or fever? When is your next doctor's appt? The tightness and discomfort are pretty normal and you still have post-surgical swelling. That area will be changing as it heals but if you feel like this is sudden, or new and different from how it has been feeling, I would ask to be seen.
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Specialk,
I have had the tightness since day one. On Saturday I had to call the oncall nurse because I was running a low grade temp 99.6 no appetite and very lethargic ( I had pretty much slept the day away). I was told to keep hydrated. No redness that I can see since its my drain tubes. My next Dr appt is Wednesday, I'm hoping that they will be removed then. My mom is so concerned that she's trying to take off work to go with me. My husband would normally take me but he is a medic offshore on the oil rigs gone 3 weeks at a time. I have tried putting ice packs on my breast just to see if that works.
Thank you for responding
Christy0 -
chrisrenee - be careful with the ice packs, you have reduced sensation and you don't need a burn from the ice. Also, you don't want to discourage the formation of new blood supply with too much icing. What is your drain output? The tightness is normal, and strangely sometimes goes away with fills. That seems counterintuitive but it is true for some. I actually felt the tightness and a pressure-like feeling for at least a month, then I had complete ALND and was distracted by that so I stopped noticing the tightness, lol! The low grade fever and lack of appetite could have been from anesthetic if it was isolated and you are not still having it - how do you generally feel now?
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Specialk, I have only iced a few times, so not that big of a deal with the blood flow. My drain output varies.I've gotten as much as 40 to as little as 5. Just when I think I'm doing good with staying under 20 ccs per drain the next thing I know I'm getting 30 out of one. My original surgery DM I only had my drains in for 1 week. I don't know if its because this was a more extensive surgery. I feel like this is getting the best of me and I hate it. I normally have a great attitude when it comes to this but lately its not so much. So coming to these discussion boards has helped me somewhat.
I did notice a little bit of the discomfort going away after I had my first fill. I'm hoping to get my next fill this Wednesday, hopefully I will be able to do the full 100ccs. So I have another 150-200 ccs left. Then hopefully the final surgery in December.
Are you done with all of your treatments?0 -
Specialk, I have only iced a few times, so not that big of a deal with the blood flow. My drain output varies.I've gotten as much as 40 to as little as 5. Just when I think I'm doing good with staying under 20 ccs per drain the next thing I know I'm getting 30 out of one. My original surgery DM I only had my drains in for 1 week. I don't know if its because this was a more extensive surgery. I feel like this is getting the best of me and I hate it. I normally have a great attitude when it comes to this but lately its not so much. So coming to these discussion boards has helped me somewhat.
I did notice a little bit of the discomfort going away after I had my first fill. I'm hoping to get my next fill this Wednesday, hopefully I will be able to do the full 100ccs. So I have another 150-200 ccs left. Then hopefully the final surgery in December.
Are you done with all of your treatments?0 -
Specialk, I have only iced a few times, so not that big of a deal with the blood flow. My drain output varies.I've gotten as much as 40 to as little as 5. Just when I think I'm doing good with staying under 20 ccs per drain the next thing I know I'm getting 30 out of one. My original surgery DM I only had my drains in for 1 week. I don't know if its because this was a more extensive surgery. I feel like this is getting the best of me and I hate it. I normally have a great attitude when it comes to this but lately its not so much. So coming to these discussion boards has helped me somewhat.
I did notice a little bit of the discomfort going away after I had my first fill. I'm hoping to get my next fill this Wednesday, hopefully I will be able to do the full 100ccs. So I have another 150-200 ccs left. Then hopefully the final surgery in December.
Are you done with all of your treatments?0 -
Chrisrenee, 100cc at a time for fills is a lot. Will you be doing weekly fills? Hope you get your drains out soon.
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chrisrenee - you can look at my sig line and see my timeline. I am still on hormonal therapy, one year in. I am participating in a Her2+ vaccine trial up in Washington, D.C. until December (6 month boosters after that) and I need to wait until December to do some fat grafting surgery to soften the step-off and my bony chest. It was originally scheduled for July but I had to postpone to qualify for the trial - I would have only had 9 days before having to fly up so I cancelled the surgery. I am done with chemo and Herceptin.
I am a proponent for low and slow on fills. Having a 100cc fill that soon after surgery is a LOT! I had 25cc weekly fills but I also had skin healing issues. Fills will slightly re-position the TE which I think is why some ladies have less discomfort once they start but be aware that large fills put a lot of stress on the skin and I would not have started fills with drains still in. Drain output is also pretty strongly linked to activity - less activity usually means less drain output. Fills and drains are both potential sources for infection, so having both at the same time may increase those odds. This thread is full of ladies who had either large surgical fills and healing/infection issues, or large fills and then issues - just sayin...
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Hi Chrisrenee, so sorry that you are here but, welcome! I echo specialk, you are so fresh out of TE placement surgery!Those things are inside against your muscle, they are hard and can have pointy edges in places so, it can take a while for the pain & tightnes to go away! I also had delayed recon with TE's. The BMX was far less painful. The drains are needed because if they are not there the fluid could build up inside and that could cause pain & possibly an infection. But, I am sure that yours will start slowing down any day now!
I felt less pain internally with each fill too but more pain in the muscle & skin. However, 100ccs at a time seems a bit much.. I could only handle 60 every other week. Remember that you can do less if you want just say so to your doc.
Hang in there, it will get better
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Shaeg45 and Specialk,
Went to my ONC today for just a checkup. While I was there they took my temp 3 times because the first one stated 101.1 the second was 101.2 and the last was 101.3. So my ONC called my PS and I am on another round of antibiotics and my appt for Wed was moved up to tomorrow at 1. The funny thing is I feel great other than the rotten day I've had. I doubt my PS will do any fills tomorrow due to this.
Thank you for your responses will keep you posted.
Christy0 -
Chrisrenee - I too had a lot of tightness that got worse with a fill and unfortunately my TE came out. I hope the antibiotics help. Mine started as tightness, then spreading redness and swelling, then puss draining (I didn't have a drain at that point) and lots of pain along the bottom. I never had a fever but my skin was so tight it looked shiny, like a burn.
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roadwarrior28- I'm trying to hang in the best as I can. I'm just very frustrated with the whole thing. I breezed through my double mastectomy had my drain tubes out in a week. With the TE I feel like I have bowling balls on my chest every night. I was told to sleep propped up with 3-4 pillows. I've tried and I'm getting less sleep that way too. This is me throwing my LAST pity party for the night.
I'm hoping the second round of antibiotics does the trick. I'm sorry you had to have your TE removed, I hope it doesn't come down to that. That would really suck, doesn't work with my schedule. I ultimately want to have the final surgery by 12-31-12, since my insurance is at 100% and I want to leave as much of this "unplanned" journey behind me not only for me but for my AMAZING husband and AMAZING kids.
christy
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DLL,
It is never too late for more education. Go back to USF if you feel it!
I will be out of town on business on Oct 11 or would love to be there for your own presentation. Good luck and I know you will do great.
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chrisrenee - hope the antibiotics do their thing! Keep us posted.
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Specialk- sure will. Thank you ladies for all your responses.
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Specialk- sure will. Thank you ladies for all your responses.
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Had my 1 week follow-up this morning, saw the PA and, PS came in too, to see me.
. They both are really caring people! Now we have to wait 3 months for infection to completely clear then we decided on bilateral lat flap.
My PS is proficient at this type recon and says that I am a good candidate since the skin is not working for implant only on the left side.
So, I will be stuck lopsided until around January.. I had a good cry with my PA this morning and I feel so much better now. I sometimes try to put up a strong facade around my friends and family so maybe I just had to let it all out.
Anyway, she pulled the drain (instant relief)!! Another follow-up in 1 more week for her to remove the stitches, then I will back to work..0 -
shae - progress is good and the time will go by fast. I am glad that you have a plan going forward - makes it easier than the unknown. This may sound weird but it seems to me that the end of the year goes by faster - something about the holidays I guess. My first surgery was at the beginning of Nov., then 2 in Dec., and 2 more in Jan. That time seemed to go by faster than the surgery in either July or Feb that came later.
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Thanks, MondaysChild. I spent 10 years volunteering & serving on the board of directors with a nonprofit organization that protects nesting sea turtles & always wanted to go into marine biology. I'm not really using the degree I have now, though!
Shae, it is good to have a plan
There is a good thread here about lat flap reconstruction too. Glad you got the drain out.Sending positive thoughts, christy---hope the antibiotics do the trick.
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DLL66- thank you! I do not have an infection but we are still keeping an eye on any rogue fevers. I am to continue taking the antibiotics for the next 8 days. Thank you for your positive thoughts.
Specialk- Everything is fine, drain tube is still intact, i have just a little bit of redness around the site. We are looking at possibly being able to take the drains out Friday (still crossing my fingers). If drains are not out then I can not return to work and i'm missing it and my wonderful patients that I get the pleasure of meeting.
shaeg45- So happy one of us got our drain tubes out. I'm ready for that instant relief. I just want to be able to bend over and shave my legs. haha! Hope you are feeling better.
Christy
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i did use hibiclenz and bactrim ointment, I believe. For the fat grafting I just had last friday, I didn't as I was at Wake Forest for the trial I am in, got home on thursday evening and had surgery on friday.
I am hoping I didn't make a mistake as I have been running a low grade fever, at the highest 99.5, off and on. No sign of infection that I can see, other than some sinus issues. I am on an antibiotic and my PS is aware, so we are just watching.
Somehow, I am a lot more sore than I remember on this fat grafting.0 -
fluff - probably because you have already done it once and have less fat? I sometimes run a fever like that from anesthetic. Did you get any antibiotics?
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I hope it is anesthesia related. I would hate to think I have issues after what was basically a vanity surgery and not critical. I haven't had any pain pills since Sunday night, and no Tylenol since yesterday evening. It comes and goes, but never higher than 99.4 max and usually more like 99.1. I have three more days of keflex, so I am going to call him tomorrow to have him extend it to get through the weekend, just in case.
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Sounds like a plan! That is a low grade fever, so I would think an infection related one would go higher - not sure though, we are all different. Will be keeping my fingers crossed for you!
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fluff, I had low-grade fever after my surgery 3 weeks ago despite being on keflex. After I was off the Keflex for 2 days, fever came back. Went on PenVK and it finally went away. It's hard to feel good when you are running a temp, even a low-grade one. No energy. Rest up as much as possible. Take your colace! Feel better.
SHAE you sound good, hope you are healing up and resting up!
Saw PS yesterday, he is pleased with my progress. My surgical tape is still on but he is not worried, he said it will fall off when it's ready. I can ditch the surgical vest! I'm in a tank top, and just getting out of that vest and into real clothes again makes me feel SO much better! Hang in there, all those who are still in the "trouble" stage. It eventually gets better.
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Renn, thats great! whats the difference between a surgical vest and tank top?
I'm in the miserable stage. 85% of my pain is caused by sutures to ribcage muscle. When my PS called last night she was worried I would think I looked too high. It cracked me up. After being too low for so long, I don't even understand what too high would mean. I ended up with 475's in each side. they look like they're projecting evenly and perky and there a good distance apart.
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Thanks Everyone! I am feeling better, I guess it takes a little while to get energy back after infection, and fever.. I cooked dinner last night (somewhat), DD had to finish but, I got most of it done.
I have been reading on the Latissimus dorsi recon thread. Trying to read thru and learn all about their ups & downs. Some have gone thru the same problems with the TE's and skin problems but, most have had proir radiation which was the culprit. Mine is puzzling cause I did not but, the skin acts the same. ?? Odd, huh?
I hope I will not need the TEs again with the lat flap, maybe he can just go in with the actual implant right off the bat since the implant should be smaller than I was stretched.
Anyway, Renn, so glad that you things are going well and looking good for you. It has been a very long time for you.. Continue to take care!0 -
Shae, if you have any lat flap questions that are not answered on that thread, feel free to send 'em my way. Glad you are feeling better.
GM, hope your pain subsides soon. I found that I felt better with a tight underwire up against those IMF sutures. It kind of kept everything from moving around. PS had okayed going back to an underwire as soon as I could tolerate it.
Yay, Renn!! So happy you are doing well!
Hope you are both doing well, Christy & Fluff.
Looks like the USF BC event is being rescheduled. Not sure yet what the new date will be. Fun plans tonight: my sister & her husband are coming in & we are going to see Adam Ant. This is my second concert this week...I am still on a mission to have fun!
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dll - keep me posted on the rescheduled date at USF - I would like to come. Have a great time at the concert - fun is a good thing!
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I thought you girls would get a kick out of this - the singer PINK is coming to Tampa in February and we just bought our tickets through a broker to make sure mama got good seats:)) Pink is our motto, after all. Can't wait to see her!
Glad to hear that you're in some normal clothes and feeling good, Renn!
Fluff - hope everything works out. Good idea to stay on the antibiotics through the weekend. We all know that if something is going to happen, it tends to happen on the darn weekend!
Is anyone in the Tampa area going to the 3 day walk next month in St. Pete? I'll be riding around in a convertible with a pink wig on lol. I'll be supporting the team that walks for me. Next year I am walking WITH them and I can't wait! I'll be walking for all of YOU.
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